Cable-gripping device



(No Model.) 3 SIieets-Slieet 1.

J. A. GOLDSTEIN. CABLE GRIPPING DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 12

, WITNESSES N PETERS. Phulo-Iilhogwher. Washingian. D I:v

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J; A. GOLD ST EIN, CABLE GRIPPING DEVICE.

No. 350,585. Patented 055.12, 1886 Fig. 3

lllll (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.

J. A. GOLDSTEIN.

GABLBGRIPPING DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 12

flttorneys N PEl'ERSt Phulwlilhogmphar. Wasnmgtnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Urrrcn.

JOSEPH A. GOLDSTEIN, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

CABLE-GRIPPING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,585, dated October 12, 1886.

Application filed April 15, 1886. Serial No. 198,9QB. (No model.) 7 I To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn A. GOLDSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county'of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cable-Gripping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cable-road grippers, and has for its object the provision of devices attached to a car, truck, or carriage whereby movable cables shall be gradually gripped and released.

Myinvention further relates to devices connected to and combining brake-levers with the mechanism that operates the grippers, so that said brake-levers are brought into action by the same motive power that governs the grippers.

My invention comprises certain novel forms of grippers, their carriers, and combinations thereof with the brake-levers, as illustrated in the drawings, hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference point ont simi-' lar parts on each figure, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gripping and brake attachment with a portion of a railroadcar partly in section. Fig. 2 is a modification of the same without the brake, and illustrating the operation of my invention as a horizontal grip. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line :0 :0, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line yy of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line z z of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic detail showing operation of car-brake.

In the drawings, A isthe car-bottom; B, wheels; 0, axles; D, track-rail; E, cable; F, bracket to which the gripping attachments are secured; G, screw to operate gripping and brake mechanism 5 H, cross-beam, carrying brakelevers at its ends; I, brake-shoes; J, brake-levers; K, pivoted links to support outer ends of brake-levers; L, central screwthreaded portion of crossbeam H," M, sliding v gripper-carrier; N, upper gripper-rollers; O,

levers pivoted to carrier M and bracket F, and operating the movable gripping-sheaves P; Q, fixed gripping-sheaves attached to bracket F, (Fig. 1,) or car-bottom, (Fig. 2;) R, brakechain; SS',sprocket-wheels; T, brake spindle struction of my improved gripper and its operation will be readily understood by all familiar with the art to which my invent-ion is allied.

One of the principle objects ofmy invention is to provide means whereby a movable cable shall be gripped when said cable is deflected from a right line. This result is attained by my improvement, whether the cable is gripped horizontally or vertically, byreason of'the arrangement of a group of rollers, N, each independentlyjournaled at the curvilinear end of the sliding carrier M.

I will first describe my'invention as adapted for employment where a movable cable, E, travels in a trough or hollow space below the roadway, in which case such cable will be gripped vertically, and where, by its own weight or from other causes, the cable is liable to deflect downwardly from a right line between each of its supporting sheaves or roll- (The latter being not shown in the drawings.)

Attached to the bottom of a car, A, and securely bolted thereto, is a depending bracket, F. Upon its outer face, and near thelower corners thereof, pivoted at 10, are grippingsheaves Q, on which the cable E rests when brought to bear upon the peripheries of said sheaves, which are grooved to receive the cable. Said sheaves Q when actuated on form the lower grips, as will presently appear. The bracket F is provided with a central vertical opening extending from itsnpper portion a given length, to provide a passage for the several movable parts of the device, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. At the lower end of said passage is an open box or way, X, through-which the upper limb or arm of the carrier M is free to slide, which way guides said carrier and keeps it from lateral displacement. The carrier M below the arm which slides within the way X, is widened, and such widened portion at its lower end is shaped to describe the segment of a circle. This portion I herein denominate as a seetorhead. Upon this sectonhead, journaled at 9, are a series of upper gripsheaves, I, having grooved peripheries. Upon either side of the sector-head, and above the sheaves N, are pivots 8, which take into elongated slots of lcversO, said levers at their opposite ends being pivoted at (S to the bracketF. Attached to each of the levers O, and pivoted thereto at 7, is, an upper gripping sheave, 1?, which sheaves I, when the device is operated to grip the cable, are normally in a line above the lower grip-sheaves, Q, and said gripping-sheaves P and Q, as is obvious, will intcrmediately embrace and clasp the cable E when brought to bear against it, the pivot 8 having requisite play within the elongated slot of the lovers 0 The carrier M is propelled within the ways X by action of a screw, G, which passes through ascrewthreaded aperture of the boss Y. Said screw G also passes within and through a screw-threaded opening of the cross-beam H, and carries said beam up and down, thereby operating the brakelevers, as will be more particularly described hereinafter. The upper end of the screw G- passes through an orificed plate formin g a part of the bracket F, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. Below said plate, and surrounding the screw G, is a sprocket'wheel, S, around which is wound the operative chain It, which extends therefrom, and is connected to a sprocket brake wheel, S, attached to the brake-spindle T. It will be readily understood that by turning the hand-wheel U the carrier M will be caused. to slide within the ways X, and that the brake-beam H will be carried thereby at the same time. Extending from the beam H, and pivoted thereto at 2, are brake-levers J J, to the free ends of which, pivoted at S, are brake-shoes I I. Said levers J are upheld by hanginglinks K pivoted to the car-truck at 5, and at their opposite ends pivoted at -1- to the lovers .T. It is obvious that the same action that will cause the carrier M to be brought to and withdrawn from the cable E will bring the shoes I against and away from the truck-wheels B. Thus by one and the same operation the cable E is gripped and the brakes withdrawn from the tractionwheels B, and thereby gentle and gradual I110- tion will be imparted to the traveling carriage, without jar orjolt. In like manner when it is desired to stop the progress of the carriage the withdrawal of the grippers from the cable and the application of the brakes to the truckwheels being concurrent, a whole train is gradually and easily brought to rest without any sudden impact.

I have thus far confined my description to the arrangement of my invention in connection with its brake-operating mechanism to the device shown in Fig. 1, and adapted and my invention to the combination of the brakes and their attachments, as my gripping device can be applied in any direction without the brake-eo-operating elements, the sheaves I.

Q, and sector-head grippingsheaves N constituting of themselves perfect cable-grippers.

It is fully within the scope of my invention to employ gripping-sheaves arranged and operated, as hereinbefore described, to grip a cable laterally. This form of its utilization is illustrated in Fi 2, wherein my improved carrier is shown as secured to the under part of the floor of the carriage. Instead of being attached to said floor, the device may be an".

ranged within an independent frame-work hanging from andin alignment with the plane ofthe floorway, asis common in analogous devices. In this form the bracket F is not necessary. The carrier M is provided with a sectorhead onto which is journaled a series of gripsheaves, N, as before described, the operative screw G passing through a drum, V, around. which is wound an endlessehain, R, reaching to and wound around the sproeketwheel of the brake-spindle. Where the bracket F is dispensed with, the levers O are pivoted at S to extensions of the boss Y, and at their opposite end, within an elongated slot, passes a stud or pivot, 6, extending from a plate, 7', these levers 0 having pivoted thereto at 11 short links \V, pivoted to which at 7 are gripsheaves P, the opposite sheaves, Q, being pivoted at 10 to the frame or floorof the carriage.

In practicing my invention, suppose the carriage is atrest, and it is desired to start the train. The first thing to be done is to release the truck -whcels from brake pressure, and then to gradually grasp the moving cable. This is effected by bringing the carrier M against said cable, and it will be seen that the central sheave N thereof will be the first to exercise the gripping function, those to theright and left thereof being in succession brought into action, and in due time the respective grippingsheaves P Q will grasp the cable, all of which will be done without imparting any sudden jolt to the carriage or train, which is I show a single sheave, Q, pivoted at each corner of the bracket F, Fig. 1., and in like manner two single sheaves, Q, pivoted at 10 ICC in position on the floorof the car, (see Fig. 2;) but it is entirely within the scope of my invention to increase the number of sheaves. It is obvious, also, that one or more sheaves, P, may be pivotally connected to the levers O, and be within the scope and purview of my invention.

While the superior advantage of my gripping meehanisin will be obvious to all familiar with analogous devices, my invention has another functional power which is of great inn-- portance. The cable E can in no instance be taut, and it is liable to sag. and deflect at various points of its length and under various conditions, thus causing the grippers in conimon use to lose their hold, and, as is frequently the ease, throw the car from the track; but this defect is entirely overcome by reason ofthe arrangement of the sheaves N upon the sector-head of the carrier M, which is intermediate of the true grippers P Q, said sectorhead sheaves taking up all the slack of the cable first at the start, and then continuously as progression is made.

Having now fully described my invention and its operation, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States of America, is

1. In a cable-gripping device, the rollers N,

journaled in a curvilinear line upon the sector-head of a propellible carrier, M, substantially as described.

2. In a eable- 'ri )in device a bracket, F

attached to a truck-bottom, provided with open ways X X, within which a carrier, M,'is free to slide, in combination with a carrier having a sector-head upon which are journaled in a curvilinear line a series of sheaves, N, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as set forth and described.

3. In a cable-gripping device, a propellible carrier having upon either side at or near the lower end thereof, pivoted lovers 0, upon which are journaled one or more grip-rollers, P, in combination with opposite pivoted rollers, Q, substantially as described.

4. In a cable-gripping device, a propellible grip-carrier provided With-pivoted grippingsheaves, in combination with brake-levers J J, pivotally linked to the carriage-truck and pivoted to a common cross-beam, said brakelevers adapted to be brought into action by the same mechanism that operates said carrier, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described.

5. In a cable-gripping device, a propellible carrier, M, upon which are journaled a series of grip-sheaves, N, said carrier-head Waving upon its either side levers O,pivotally connected at their respective ends to said carrier and to fixed carriage attachments, said levers having pivoted thereto grip-sheaves P, adapted to be swunginto position to grip the cable, in combinationwith opposite pivoted gripsheaves', Q, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described.

6. In a cable-gripping apparatus, the brakegriplever bar H, carrying at its either end a pivotally-connected brake-shoe lever, said bar having a central screw-threaded bore, in combinat on with a common screw, G, passing through said bore and the bore of the boss Y of a propellible carrier, M, whereby both the brake-lever bar and carrier are simultaneously lifted forward and backward, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described.

JOSEPHA. GOLDSTEIN.

lVitnesses:

HENRY MANNE, V. L. KINNER. 

